Hubble Space Telescope: surface map of Pluto

Map of Pluto’s surface, a Mercator projection based on images made by the Hubble Space Telescope in June and July 1994. The north polar region generally comprises bright areas, while the equatorial region, particularly to the south, has more dark patches. The reasons for the variations in brightness remain to be determined; they may indicate topographic features such as basins or craters; ground cover such as frost, rock, or dust; or a combination.